Family of sex abuse victim sues school district

February 27, 2008 1:37:23 PM PST

DOVER, Del. -February 27, 2008 --

An attorney for a Wilmington family says Brandywine School District officials did not do enough to prevent a 15-year-old boy from being sexually assaulted by his sixth grade teacher last year. A lawsuit filed Wednesday names former Brandywine superintendent Bruce Harter and the victim's former teacher, Rachel L. Holt, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence.

Attorney Thomas Neuberger says the school district failed to do a proper background check when hiring Rachel L. Holt, a former sixth grade teacher at Claymont Elementary School who is serving a 10-year prison sentence for second-degree rape.

Brandywine School District staff attorney Ellen Marie Cooper said she had not seen the complaint and could not comment on it.